UPDATED! Farmers' market producers invited to pest management workshops

CORRECTION: A news release dated May 4 listed the wrong date for the workshop in Conway. The correct date is June 10.

Workshops on environmentally responsible and effective pest management for farmers' market producers and other small acreage farmers will be held at three locations in May and June.

The workshops will be held in Monticello May 18, in Conway June 10 and in Fayetteville June 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at each location. The workshops are sponsored by the University of Arkansas System’s Division of Agriculture and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, based in Poteau, Okla.

Elena Garcia, extension horticulture specialist with the Division of Agriculture, said the workshops are free, but space is limited, and advance registration is required. Contact Carolyn Lewis, 479-264-0905, calewis@uark.edu, to register.

The location and workshop materials will be provided to those who register. Lunch and educational materials are provided by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Whether you use organic or conventional practices, this workshop can help you evaluate your pest management program,” Garcia said. The workshops will include classroom presentations and hands-on sessions in the field, she said.

UPDATED! Polk County Master Gardener Plant Sale

This is an update on the Polk County Master Gardener Plant Sale that was previously rescheduled due to the tornado and damage it caused to the community.

Polk County Master Gardener Plant Sale - NEW LOCATION

Polk County Fairground Livestock

The Polk County Master Gardeners Plant sale has been postponed until Saturday, May 16, at the Polk County Fairground Livestock barn in Mena, AR.

Private Pesticide Applicator Training

A private pesticide applicators training will be held in Texarkana at the Miller County Courthouse, Suite 215, Thursday, May 14, 2009, at 1:00 p.m.

For more information contact the Miller County Cooperative Extension Service Office either by email or call 870-779-3609.

Welfare and abandonment issues surround horse ownership

Abandoned horses have been turning up in sale barns, cattle pastures and state and federal lands across Arkansas and the country, says Steve Jones, associate professor/extension equine specialist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

"The abandonment issue affects a number of entities, including land owners, business owners, humane societies and rescue groups and law enforcement," Jones said. "Livestock auction operators are locking facilities at night to discourage people from leaving horses at their facilities."

Buddy Smith, assistant manager of Lewis Livestock Market at Conway, said abandonment "is a reality. It has happened at livestock markets in Oklahoma and other states."

More horses than normal are ending up at local humane societies and horse rescue farms, putting stress on the resources of these facilities, according to Jones.

Some cattle producers have also being affected.

"One Arkansas cattle producer told me he went to check on his cows, and there were two horses in the pasture with his cows. I've heard several stories like that," Jones said.

Kay Simpson, director of the Humane Society of Pulaski County, thinks neglect is a bigger problem than abandonment.

"We've prosecuted several people in the last year for not doing what they're supposed to do to take care of their horses," Simpson said.

In the last year or so, issues related to horse welfare, such as nutrition, health and foot care have become a concern, Jones noted. Many people have less disposable income because of the economy, so they skimp on feed. "We wind up with neglected horses. Incidents appear to be higher than normal."

Several factors hit all at once to cause horse neglect and abandonment, according to Jones.

One factor is the close of all slaughter plants in the United States. The plants are now in Canada and Mexico. It's cost prohibitive to transport horses out of country. "Other issues are the unprecedented rise in feed prices last year and people losing their job," he said.

Smith said the slaughter issue means that many horses have no value.

"We can't sell them. There's no bidder. We don't have a propped up market price because there are no slaughter houses anymore," he explained.

Jones said owning a horse offers the owner with recreational, driving and draft riding opportunities. Arkansas has about 170,000 horses, many of them for recreation.

When you own a horse, he said, if you're buying feed and doing required health care, you'll spend $1,000 to $1,500 a year on its needs. "All of a sudden, the recreation horse becomes a drain on family income and a luxury they can't afford, he said.

Demand for horses has gone away, Jones noted. If a person can afford it, now is the time to buy, because it's a buyer's market.

"The cheapest part of owning a horse is the purchase price," the horse specialist said. "Many people don't plan for long term expense of owning a horse. Feed, hay and health care is constant for 20 to 25 years, the useful lifespan of horses."

One solution, he said, is to reduce the horse numbers.

"A number of stallion owners have told me they're breeding fewer mares for customers. Fewer owners are bringing their mares to them for breeding."

Every horse owner should consider reducing the number of foals born.

"Unfortunately, I'm seeing farms that are breeding horses indiscriminately. They need to reduce their output. Breed your elite mares and stallions that have potential value," he said.

Jones explains there is still a demand for horses, but the market is for horses that have a job or purpose, such as trained horses ready to ride, race or drive.

If a horse owner has pasture with good hay quality, they can eliminate feed. Horses can thrive on hay and pasture, if the hay and pasture meet nutritional requirements.

"Your county extension agent can take a hay or forage sample, and the university can provide an analysis," Jones said.

For more information, contact your county extension agent or visit our web site and select Agriculture, then Horses. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

Farmers' market producers invited to pest management workshops

Workshops on environmentally responsible and effective pest management for farmers' market producers and other small acreage farmers will be held at three locations in May and June.

The workshops will be held in Monticello May 18, in Conway June 22 and in Fayetteville June 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at each location. The workshops are sponsored by the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, based in Poteau, Okla.

Dr. Elena Garcia, extension horticulture specialist with the Division of Agriculture, said the workshops are free, but space is limited, and advance registration is required. Contact Carolyn Lewis by email or telephone at 479-264-0905 to register.

The location and workshop materials will be provided to those who register. Lunch and educational materials are provided by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"Whether you use organic or conventional practices, this workshop can help you evaluate your pest management program," Garcia said. The workshops will include classroom presentations and hands-on sessions in the field, she said.

Tips to make your mowing job more productive

At first glance, mowing a lawn doesn't look like a difficult job requiring much thought. We're just cutting grass - right?

"But lawn mowing done properly goes several steps farther than just firing up a lawn mower and cutting grass," says Gerald Alexander, Hempstead county extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Mowing is a destructive practice to the plant because it removes a portion of leaf tissue that could be used to provide energy for the plant, he says. When leaf tissue is lost, the plant responds by redirecting energy from storage in the roots to producing more leaf tissue. If a lawn is cut too low, the plant has a more difficult time recovering because it lacks adequate leaf area to help it use soil nutrients efficiently.

Whenever mowing is necessary, never remove more than one-third of the leaf blade in a single mowing. For example, if you want your turfgrass to maintain a height of 3 inches, mow when the turfgrass stands 4.5 inches tall. This will normally translate into a once-weekly mowing pattern under ideal growing conditions, according to Alexander.

Mowing high is preferable to mowing low because overall plant health increases and weed competition decreases. The type of turfgrass in your lawn will determine how high your lawn should be mown.

The suggested mowing heights for common lawngrasses are: Centipede – 1.5 to 2 inches; St. Augustine grass – 2.5 to 4 inches; Zoysia grass – three-quarters of an inch to 2.5 inches; common Bermuda – 1.5 to 2.5 inches.

Alexander says he frequently hears questions concerning grass clippings left on the lawn.

It used to be thought that grass clippings contributed to thatch buildup. However, research has shown that grass clippings don't contribute to thatch buildup. Clippings are actually good for the soil because they return nutrients to the soil when they decompose.

"As long as you don't allow your lawngrass to become excessively high between mowings, you don't need to bag them. Clippings are often bagged because people fear the spread of lawn diseases through the return of lawn clippings. The spores that cause lawn disease are present whether clippings are returned or bagged," says Alexander.

Lawns are best mown when the turf is dry. The clippings are more evenly distributed on a dry lawn than a wet lawn. Wet mowing wet causes the clippings to clump and clog the mower. These clumps will then need to be picked up to prevent smothering the turfgrass beneath. Wet mowing also opens the door for disease organisms to enter the plant. Slipping and tearing turfgrasses are other reasons not to mow under wet conditions.

When lawn mowers are operating, he says, always pay close attention to safety. A mower blade can pick up an object from the ground and throw it with a velocity strong enough to damage cars, houses and inflict serious harm to humans and animals.

Additional information on lawn mowing can be found in the publications section of our web site, or at your county extension service office. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

Plant Health Clinic Newsletter #9 May 1, 2009

The weekly Plant Health Clinic Newsletter is available here.

Inside this edition you will find information about Aphid Damage to Iris, Glyphosate Injury on Tomatoes, Anthracnose on Ash, Maple, and Sycamore, and Patch diseases of turf.

As always you can get more help with diseased plants from your local county extension office.